Nanyang (南阳) was a commandery in southern Jing Province (in modern Henan Province). It is most famous as the place where Zhuge Liang lived in reclusion before joining Liu Bei.
Historical significance
Nanyang Commandery was an agricultural region with strategic value due to its location between the Central Plains and the Yangtze valley. During the late Han period, it was part of Jing Province, nominally under Liu Biao.
Zhuge Liang’s retreat
Around 197, Zhuge Liang moved to Nanyang after his family fled the chaos in their home commandery. He settled at Longzhong (Dragon Ridge), where he lived as a farmer-scholar, studying classics and military strategy. Despite his humble appearance, he was known among local scholars as the “Sleeping Dragon” (Wolong).
The three visits
In 207, Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times to request his service. On the third visit, Zhuge Liang presented the Longzhong Plan, which proposed that Liu Bei should first secure Jing Province, then take Yizhou (modern Sichuan), and finally launch a two-pronged northern expedition when the time was ripe. This strategy became the foundation of Liu Bei’s state-building efforts.
Three Kingdoms period
After Liu Bei took control of Jing Province, Nanyang became a frontier region contested between Shu and Wei. The commandery changed hands several times during the Northern Expeditions led by Zhuge Liang and later Jiang Wei.
Modern Nanyang
Today, Nanyang is a prefecture-level city in Henan Province. The Longzhong site is preserved as a historical memorial, and the city celebrates its connection to Zhuge Liang with museums and cultural sites.
References
- Chen Shou, Records of the Three Kingdoms (三国志)
- Fan Ye, Book of the Later Han (后汉书)
- Sima Guang, Zizhi Tongjian (资治通鉴)
- de Crespigny, Rafe. A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms